1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color image forming apparatus such as for example electrophotographic color image copying apparatus which is capable of copying at least two color images.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is known a conventional electrophotographic color image copying apparatus incorporating two functional modes including the one which continuously copies the image of two pages of an original onto two copying papers per page and the automatic color selection mode which automatically determines the copying process based on available colors after identifying the chromatic condition of the image of the original by performing a preliminary scanning operation prior to a normal scanning operation.
In case a copying operation is carried out in the automatic color selection mode and in the continuous page copying mode in a conventional copying apparatus, the copying apparatus discriminates the chromatic condition while reading of two pages of the original in the preliminary scanning operation and performs identical copying processes for copying the two-page content based on the total chromatic condition covering all the colors on these two pages. As a result, in case there is any difference in the chromatic condition between the color images on two pages, then the copying apparatus is obliged to perform additional wasteful copying routines. For example, if the first page of the original is of red and blue colors, whereas the second page is merely of black, thus making up three color image, then, the copying apparatus is obliged to perform the copying routines normally needed for copying the first and second pages with these three colors. Concretely, such processes needed for copying the first page of red and blue colors also include an additional useless process for copying with black, and likewise, when copying black image of the second page, those additional processes for copying with red and blue colors are uselessly performed as well.